It’s no secret that the world is shrinking. Technology, mobility, and population growth are all contributing to a society that is fast becoming global in every sense. And as the world becomes smaller, lawyers need to be prepared to meet an entirely new set of client demands and challenges.

To help students become better prepared in today’s global environment, the Maurer School of Law offers programs to introduce students to career options around the world.

In the summer of 2014, 14 students spent the summer in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, and South Korea, and Thailand as Milton Stewart Fellows working at highly reputed law firms, corporations, and non-governmental organizations. The NGO interns working in India were also named Holdeen Scholars in honor of the Unitarian Universalist Holdeen India Program. Demarest & Almeida Advogados and Votorantim Group are funding the Brazil externships. Nearly 60 students have served as Stewart Fellows since the program's inception in 2010.

Why India? “That’s a good question, given that it’s a huge, poor, crowded country with a cumbersome civil service,” said Jay Krishnan, Professor of Law, Charles L. Whistler Faculty Fellow, and Director of the Center on the Global Legal Profession’s India Program. “Despite these challenges, India is growing quickly, with savvy entrepreneurs and several hundred million English-speaking residents. Most of all,” he continued, “India is a democracy, and the rule of law prevails. There’s no better environment for students to experience globalization." Brazil and South Korea offer similar opportunities for students to receive hands-on legal and business training in a rapidly growing, globally based environment.

The Stewart Fellows found their experiences extremely rewarding.
"Being a lawyer means being able to adapt to new circumstances, understand foreign concepts, and apply previously unknown laws to solve a client’s problem," said Matt Showalter, '15. "My externship put these skills to the test. I had to analyze Indian law, analogize U.S. and U.K. legal trends to developing trends in India, and apply these standards to unique problems. In my career, I expect to meet similar challenges and approach them in the very same way."